Sightings of cool technology at SAE’s WCX2017 World Congress

Not your father’s fuel tank
Who knew modern fuel tanks were as complicated as the transparent version of a Hyundai Ioniq fuel tank visible here? The tank holds 11.9 gallons. Made by the Auto Inergy Div. of Plastic Omnium, it is the company’s first production of multilayer polyethylene tank technology. Plastic tanks like this are becoming widely used in HEVs as a means of reducing weight – about 5 kg savings in the Ioniq. The ability to mold the tank into odd-ball shapes also saves space. Noteworthy features inside the tank include the hourglass-shaped support beams, designed to buckle in a crash rather than poking through the tank envelope. The fuel delivery module is in the center of the tank, with support members around it to ensure a good seal around it. The black plastic apparatus at the right of the tank is a fuel vapor management system that also seals the tank when the car operates in EV mode.
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